Rich People Problems-Kwan 2017 (WWT)

that they just bow and scrape away like subservient little toadies. I remember a time
when the Countess of Mountbatten came to visit Tyersall Park, and Su Yi wouldn’t even
come downstairs to receive her!”
“You’re missing the point. Everyone treated Colette like royalty all through the dinner.
They were dressed like peasants and the people were still sucking up! That idiot on my
right wouldn’t even lift his fork until Colette lifted her fork. And then the minute she was
done with her dinner, we all had to stop. That Carolina Herrera–perfumed flan was the
first thing I was actually enjoying, but then dinner abruptly ended and the royal couple
was off.”
“The last thing I thought I’d ever wanted to eat was a dessert that tasted like Carolina
Herrera, but it was superb, wasn’t it? Well, aren’t you at least glad the dinner passed with
no incident? Colette didn’t try to insult you or cause a scene.”
“No, what she did was worse—she didn’t even acknowledge my presence! And I’m
married to her father! The man who pays all her bills even though she won’t talk to him
anymore! Do you know how hurt he feels? That ungrateful, spoiled little beast!”
“Kitty, I wouldn’t take it so personally if I were you. There were thirty of us in that
ghastly room, sixty if you count the ridiculous footmen, and Yolanda was dominating
every minute of Lucien and Colette’s time. Trust me, I was right opposite from them. You
were on the other end of the table hidden behind those ridiculous birdcage centerpieces—
I honestly don’t think she even saw you.”
“Colette saw me, I can assure you. She doesn’t miss a thing. Why was she even in
Singapore anyway?”
“Lucien is an environmentalist, and they are going to be based in Singapore for the next
month, that’s all. They’re on their way to Sumatra to observe the orangutan situation.”
“What orangutan situation?”
“Oh, it’s quite a tragedy. Thousands of orangutans are dying because of deforestation in
their natural habitats. Colette’s become quite involved in orangutan orphan rescue.”
“That’s what you talked about? There was no mention of me? Of her father?”
“Kitty, I can assure you that the only people that were mentioned by name happened to
be orangutans.”
“So she doesn’t know you and I have a connection?”
“She doesn’t. But what would it matter anyway? Why didn’t you just come over and say
hi? Be the bigger person and welcome her to Singapore? That would have been the smart
move,” Oliver said as he struggled to tuck his leather valise under the seat next to him.
“Hnh! I am her stepmother! She should introduce herself to me, not the other way
around!”
“Wait a minute…are you saying you’ve never met Colette?” Oliver was genuinely
shocked.
“Of course not! I told you, she hasn’t seen her father since she found out about our
affair. And she wouldn’t come to the wedding. She hasn’t set foot in China in more than
two years. She told him that he…that he was marrying a whore.”